Coupling



(No Model.)

B. F. NICHOLS.

GOUPLING.

Patented Apr. 6, 1886.

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W2K/wauw.

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TED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

BENJAIVIIN F. NICHOLS, OF BROOKLINE, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO JULIANPOMEROY, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 339,204, dated April 6,1886.

A pplicalion filed December 9, 1885. Serial No. 185,150. (No model.)

.To cLZZ 1071.077@ t may concernf Be it known that l, BENJAMIN F.NIcHoLs,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Brookline, inthe county ofNorfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to lettersor figures of reference .marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification. I5 This invention relates to couplings for uniting aseries of lengths or joints longitudinally disposed end to end. Suchcomponent parts, when connected or made up, form one integral piece, asin the case of fishing-rods or other similar articles.

The object of my invention is to form acoupling which shall be providedwith means for automatically increasing their friction when made up-thatis, the parts are so disposed that they shall resist any tendency topartially disengage and separate, thereby rendering the adjacent lengthsof the rod or other articleloose and shaky, and nullifyin g theadvantages which should be obtained were such component parts connectedfirmly as a unit.

The drawings herewith shown represent, in

Figure l, a longitudinal central section of a self-locking couplingembodying my improvements. Figs. 2 and 3 are modifications. 35 In theabove drawings, A B represent two adjacent lengths of a ishing-rod orother jointed article to be connected, while the coupling as an entiretyis shown at C. This is composed, as usual, of male and female ferruleparts, (respectively lettered a b.) The former is shown as a hollowferrule inclosing the end of the length B, which is adapted to fitsnugly and be secured within the same. Such ferrule is contracted at itsclosed end, which is provided with a central longitndinally-disposedscrew-threaded stud, c.

The female part b of the coupling is represented as a hollow cylindricalferrule open at both ends, one end'of such ferrule being adapt- 53 ed torecei ve the extremity of thej oint A,juXtaopposed to B, to which it isto be united. The

other and opposite end of said ferrule is to receive the contractedportion of the male ferrule a, before described, which interlockstherewith.

To unite these ferrules a I, forming the coupling C as an entirety, andwith it the contiguous lengths A B of the rod or other article, I havesecurely fastened an annular bushing, d, iuteriorly screw-threaded,Within the bore of 6o the ferrule b. The screw-threaded stud c, beforementioned, is adapted to engage with and enter such bushing, and thusthe parts of the coupling are interlocked and united.

I am aware that couplings very similarly constructed in generalprinciples have been used; but hitherto no means have been provided toautomatically increase the friction of such devices-that is, after beingonce made up, there shall be no tendency to become loose by thescrew-threaded parts partially disengaging, which is a veryobjectionable feature in this class of fastenings, and I have hereinendeavored to obviate this trouble, and at the same time improve theconstruction of the coupling by the following arrangement of parts Itwill be seen that the stud c is somewhat longer than the annular bushingd, through which it passes in screw-threaded engagement. Thus, when theshoulder on the closed end of 8C the ferrule a is in contact with] thebushing, said stud projects beyond and bea-rs against a metallic plate,e, loosely fitting and contained within the bore of the ferrule Z1. New,between the butt-end of the joint A is disposed 35 a disk, f, of rubberor some other suitable elastic material, as a spring-washer; hence inthe making up of the various lengths which compose a jointed fishing-rodor other similarlyconstructed article,a female ferrule, b, is firmlyfastened to the lower end of each j oint-in the present instance A.Furthermore, a male ferrule, c, is attached to the upper end of alength,B, and the two ferrules are then connected. The stud c, passing throughand beyond the end of the bushing d, bears against the metallic plate eand compresses the elastic medium j'. The elasticity of the latter instriving to resume its normal shape exerts a continued forcible pressureagainst the plate and stud, 10@ and thus serves most effectually thepurpose lof a check-nut, which cannot be used here,

owing to the peculiar disposition of the con'- necting parts.

It is evident that the thickness of the elastic medium may be increased,and consequently the pressure, while the tendency of the stud to turnand so loosen the coupling is diminished.

In Fig. 2 is shown a modification of the elastic medium, which isrepresented by a springplate, in lieu of the elastic medium shown inFig. l.

\ Fig. 3 shows a further modification, in which the bushing d is closedat one end, while an elastic medium is inserted in the bore thereof.Thus the stud, when turned home, shall bear against and compress saidmedium, and an equivalent result is obtained.

I am aware that a coupling consisting of a male ferrule provided with ascrew-threaded stud and secured to a female ferrule by means of anannular screw-threaded bushing is not new. I am also aware that it isnot new to lock the sections of a rod or other article together by meansof set-screws which pass through an outside ring and then through theferrule and take into a notched cylindrical or smooth conical extensionon the end of a male ferrule, and I therefore do not claim suchconstruction; but

I claiml. A coupling composed of male and female parts, with theengaging screw-stud of the male adapted to compress an elastic mediumcontained within the female part of such coupling when the latter ismade up, and for purposes stated.

2. The combination, with the ferrule a and screw-threaded stud c, of theferrule b, screwthreaded bushing d, bearing-plate c, and elastic mediumf, by means of which pressure is maintained against the stud to preventunlocking of the parts, substantially as described.

3. In combination with two contiguous endto-end lengths, A B, thecoupling C, composed of the partsa b and their interlocking devices c def, all co-operating substantially for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.y

BENJAMIN F. NICHOLS.

Vitnesses:

H. E. LODGE, F. CURTIS.

